Electrical automatic control mechanism.



M. G. VANDY.

' ELECTRICAL AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION HLED'NOV- s. 1916.

1,228,993,. Patented June 5, 1917.

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M. G. VANDY. ELECTRICAL AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-6.1916- y Patented June 0, 1917.

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ELECTRICAL AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV 6. 2916.

1,228,993. Patented June 53, 191?.

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ELECTRICAL AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-6.19m.

1,228,993. Patented June 5, 1917.

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M. G. VANDY.

ELECTRICAL AUTOMATIC CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. I916.-

' Patented June 5,1917.

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UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

' MAX e. VANDY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEGEANISM.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, MAX G. VA vDY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Automatic Control Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical automatic control mechanism, and more particularly to mechanism of this character adapted to automatically control the turning on and 0E of the power in a factory or plant at preciselythe times desired without the necessity ofmanual supervision or operation.

The object of this invention is the production of control mechanism of the character mentioned which will be of durable and practical construction, and which will be efiicient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view,,the invention consist's'in the combinations and, arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic plan view of'a control mechanism embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a clockwork or time piece included in the construction,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of Fig. 2, with the ,rear wall of the clockwork casing re moved,

Fig. 4 is a side el'evationof Fig. 2, with the clockwork casing shown in section,

Fig. 5 is a fragmental detail section taken on Substantiall line aa-w of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a rontelevation of the actuating mechanism of the device, and

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of Fig. 6.

The, preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a base 1 upon which is mounted the electrical control box'2 which is adapted to control the power or current of the' factory or plant in connection with which the device is employed. The control lever of the electrical control box 2 is shown at 3, the same being pivotally mounted at 4 so that in the pivotal movement of said lever the same successively en ages with the contacts 5, turning on or.

o the power, as will be readily understood.

Specification of Letters Patent.

j Application filed November 6, 1916. Serial N 0. 129,864.

When the lever 3 is at its right hand terminal of'movement the power will be turned off, and when said lever is at its left hand terminal of movement the power will be turned on full. This control box is of conventional construction, no claim being here made'. thereto, the construction embodying the invention in question being designed for automatically actuating said control lever so as to turn on and off the power of the plant, factory or other constructionfat predetermined intervals or times.

The mechanism for effecting such control or actuation of lever 3 comprises a link 6 which is connected at one end with said lever, the opposite end of said lever being connected'with a gear 7 by means as will be seen, that operation of said motor.

will effect rotation of gear 7, the latter in turn effecting actuation of control lever 3 through the medium of link 6.

In order to control the making and breaking of the circuit through electric motor 11,

r to effect starting and stopping of the same, a clockwork 12 is employed, said clockwork being. preferably of the variety which are equipped with gearing or mechanism for effecting the striking of the hours of the day, said mechanism bein however, of conventional design except or-the addition to one of the gears thereof, of a number of pins for transmitting motionto other additional mechanism arranged within the casing 13 of the clockwork. At the front side of the casing 13 are provided the usual hour and minute hands 14 and 15 respectively, of the clockwork with which cooperates a dial 16, provided upon the front side of said housing. Mounted upon the front side of said housing on the dial 16 is a plurality of electrical switches 17, 18, 19 and 20 arranged, respectively, at the hour numerals 12, 11, 5 and 7. Each of said switches comprises movable and'stationary contacts which are normally spaced a art in circuitbreaking relation, said mova le contact be- 7 ing positioned in the path of the hour hand 14, so that as the hour hand passes said switches, in the movement of the same around the dial, said movable contacts will be successively pressed outwardly to closed position, in order to successively close said switches. Said movable contacts are connected in parallel by means of branch wires 21, 22, 23 and 24 with a conductor 25, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The stationary contacts of saidswitches are donnected in parallel by means of branch wires 26, 27, 28 and I 29 with. a conductor wire 30.

Also mounted upon the front side of the clockwork housing, just above the switch located at the hour numeral 12, is another switch 31 of practically .the same construction as the switches just described, the switch 31 being arranged, however, for co; operation with the minute hand 15 of the clock so that once every hour, or as *the minute hand 15 registers with the hour numeral 12, the switch 31 will be closed. To

avoid short-circuiting through the hands of the clock, the movable contact of switch 31 is provided With a projection 32 of insulating material with which the minute hand engages in the actuation of said contact by said minute hand. The stationary contact of the switch 31 is connected, as seen, with the conductor wire 30, the movable contact of said switch being connected with a wire 33 which in turn is connected with a binding post 34, said switch 31 being thus in series with each of the switches 17, 18, 19 and 20. With this arrangement then, it will be seen that the switch 31 being arranged in series with the switches 17 i8, 19 and 20, the circuit through any one of said switches 17 18, 19 or 20 will be closed only when the hour hand is in engagement with the movable contact of the particular switch, and also only when the minute hand is at the same time in engagement with the movable contact of the switch 31.

The circuit which includes said switches is also controlled by additional switch mechanism arranged in the clockwork housing to the left of the clockwork, said additional switch mechanism comprising two shafts 35 and 36 rotatably mounted in said housing. Fixed toshafts 35 and 36 are disks 37 and 38 respectively, of insulating material, upon the peripheries of which are arranged contacts 39 and 40 respectively, which extend part way around said disks, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Cooperating with the contact 39 is a pair of spring contact members 41 and 41, and similarly cooperating with the contact 40 is a pair of spring contacts 42 and 42, said contacts 41, 41, 42 and 42 being insulated from each other and mounted upon a suitable supporting block A of insulating material, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The shafts 35 and 36,

and consequently the disks 37 and 38 are rotated through the medium of sprocket wheels 35 and 36', the teeth of sprocket wheel 35 being adapted for engagement with laterally projecting pins 44 WlllCh are provided at one side of the ear 43 of the clockwork. A single latera ly projectin pin 45, provided upon said gear, is adapted for engagement with the teeth of sprocket wheel 36'. The pins 44 are shorter than the pin 45 so that the former will miss the sprocket wheel 36 and engage only with the teeth of sprocket wheel 35, and said pin 45 being positioned, as seen, so as to miss the teeth of sprocket wheel 35 and engage only with those of the sprocket wheel 36. The gear 43 isone of a train of gearsin the clockwork which ordinarily operate the striker of the clock, the rotation of said'gear being controlled by a stop pawl 43 which is adapted to engage with notches 43 ;spuced at irregular intervals around in the peripheryof said gear. The arrangement is such that, in the operation of the clock, saidgear moves once every hour, muting the' 'ehort est distance for one oclock, prior-one stroke'of the striker, and increasing 'ggraduall' -in its amplitude of movementuntil the four of twelve has been struck, said gearbeing rotated through one complete revolution {,every twelve hours. The teethupon sprocket wheel 35 and the pins 44 upon gear 43 are so arranged that said sprocket wheel will be intermittently moved, completing two complete revolutions for every one revolution of the gear 43, or completing one complete revolution per day. The sprocket wheel 36.is pro vided with fourteen teeth so that said sprocket wheel will be turned, through the medium of the pin 45, through one complete revolution every fourteen complete revolutions of gear-43, or through one complete revolution in the course of one week, the same being moved twice daily, or once every twelve hours. Provided at the front end of shaft 35 is a hand or indicator 46 with which cooperates graduations 46 arranged upon the front side of the clockwork housing, said graduations indicating the hour of the day, day time or night time, at which the shaft 35 is driven or o erated by the the days of the week and whether a. m.

or p. m., that is night time or day time, as seen by the graduations 12, two of which are arranged opposite each day indication.

The contact 41 is connected with the conductor wire 25, the contacts 41' and 42" being connected by a conductor Wire 48. The contact 42 is connected by means of a conductor wire v49 with a binding post 49,

and the'before-mentioned switch devices arranged upon the clock dial with the conductor wire 33, said switch devices being all arranged in series. The contact member 40 which is arranged upon the shaft 36 is so positioned that said contact will be in engagement with the contact members 42 and 42 to close the circuit therethrough,

during the entire Week with the'exception of Saturdaynight and Sunday, the gap between the ends of the contact member 40 being so positioned that from 6:00 p. m. Saturday to 6:00 a. m. the following Monday, the gap will be in registration with the contacts'42 and 42, thus breaking the circuit at. this point during this period. Also, the contact plate '39 of the switch mechanism arranged upon shaft 35 is of such length that the contact members 41 and 41 will remain in engagement therewith from 6:00 a. m. to 6:00 p. m. of each day, said contacts registering with said'gap and therefore breakingthe circuit at this point from 6:00. p. m. of each day to 6:00 a. m. the following day.

The conductor wire 33 is connected through post34 with; a conductor wire 54:, said conductor wire extending to and being connected with one of the sockets 55 and 55 which coiiperate with a knife-switch 56 which is pivotally connected with the base 1 at points 57 and 57. The point 57 is connected by means of conductor wire 58 with one pole of the motor 11, the other pole, of said motor being connected by vmeans of a conductor wire 59 with a contact 59". Coiiperating with the contact 59 isapivotally mounted switch arm 60, the base of which is connected by means of a conductor wire 61 with the other side or pivotal point 57' of the switch 56. The corresponding socket 55 of said switch is connected by means of a conductor wire 62 with binding post 63 upon clockwork housing 13, said'binding post being permanently connected with another binding post 6 1' which in turn is connected, by means of a conductor wire 65, with the socket 50 of switch 51.

It will thus be seen that a circuit is completed betweenthe opposite sides of switch 51 or between the terminals of the feed wires 52 and 53 in which circuit are arrangedin series the switch mechanisms arrahged' upon shafts 35 and 36, the switch devices arranged upon the clock dial 16 which may be closed by the hour hand 14:, switch 31, one side of switch 56, motor 11, switch 60, and the opposite side of switch 56.

Also mounted upon the front side of clockwork housing 13, at the hour numeral 3 upon dial 16, is a switch 66 of a construction similar to that of the switches 17 18, 19, 20 and 31. The switch 66 is arranged for cotiperation with the minute hand 15, the movable contact of said switch being adapted for engagement by said minute hand to be pressed thereby into contact with the stationary contact of said switch once every hour or fifteen minutes after each hour, that is at 12: 15, 1:15, 2:15, etc. The

movable contact of switch 66 is connected by means of a conductor wire 67 with a binding post 68, said conductor wire being connected through said post with a conductor wire 69 which, in turn, is connected with one pole of an electro-magnet 70 mounted upon the base 1, adjacent the switch member 60. The other pole of said electro-magnet 70 is connected by means of a conductor wire 71 with one side of the base of switch 51, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. The stationary contact of switch 66 is connected through themedium of conductor wire 72, binding post 73 and conductor wire 74 with the base of the other side of switch 51, the conductor wires 71 and 74 being thus in direct connec tion with the feed wires 52 and 53.

Cotiperating with the switch 60 is a helical tension spring 75 adapted to normally hold the switch 60 in closed position, that is in engagement with the contact 59. Pro-' vided upon the front side of gear 7 are two diametric laterally projecting pins 6, adapted, upon rotation of said gear to engage with the free end of the switch ber 60 in order to rock the same to open or circuit-breaking position. The pins 76 are so positioned that the same will contact with and move the switch member 60 to the position mentioned when the control lever 3 is at its terminals of movement, that is one of said pins will engage with said switch member and move the same to circuit-breaking position when said control lever is in off position, and the other pin will actuate said switch member when said control lever is in on position, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. Said switch member 60 is automatically held in open or circuit-breaking position or the position to which the same is moved The electro-magnet 70 is controlled by the switch 66, and this being so, it will be seen that fifteen minutes after each hour,or at the time when said switch 66 is closed, the electro-magnet 70 will be energized in order to move the detent 77 to releasing position.

With the construction as set forth then,

it will be seen that, in operation, at the hour say of 6:00 Monday morning, the switch mechanism mounted upon shafts 35 and 36 will be closed, allowing the current from one side of the switch 51 to flow through conductor wire 49, binding post 49 and conductor wire 49 to contact 42, thence through contact plate 40 to contact 42, thence through conductor wire 48 to contact 41, thence through contact plate 39 to contact 41, and thence to conductor wire 25. At 7 oclock Monday morning, the circuitthrough switch 20 will be closed by hour hand 14 and the circuit through switch 31 closed by minute hand 15, allowing the current to flow from conductor wire 25 through switch 20, conductor wires 29 and 30, through switch 31 and thence to conductor wire 33. The switch 56 being in engagement with sockets 55 and 55', the current will flow from conductor wire 33 through binding post 34 to conductor wire 54, thence through one side of switch 56 to conductor Wire 58, thence through motor 11, switch member 60, conductor wire 61, the opposite side of switch 56, and thence through conductor wire 62, binding posts 63 and 64 and conductor wire 65 back to the opposite side of switch 51. It will thus be seen that at 7 oclock in the morning the circuit through the motor 11 will be en-- tirely closed, causing driving of said motor which, in turn, will move the controlling lever 3 to operative or on position. When said control lever 3 has reached its full on position, one of the pins 76 will engage with and rock the switch member 60 to open or circuit-breaking position, thus causing breaking of the circuit through the motor and consequent stopping of the same with the control lever 3 in its .on or operative position. The switch member 60 will be held in open position by the detent v77 until a quarter past 7 when the circuit through.

switch 66 will be closed by means of the minute hand 15, causing the energizing of electro-magnet 70 with theresult of moving of said detent to releasing position, and the movement of switch member 60 to initial or circuit-closing position under the influnce of spring 75. The circuit through the motor 11 will remain broken until 12 oclock, or until the hour hand 14 registers with and closes theswitch 17, and the minute hand through one hundred eighty degrees, or to such an extent as to carry the control lever 3 to off position to shut down the power. As said lever reaches this position, the other pin 76 willengage with the switch member 60 and rock the same to inoperative position as before, in which position said switch member will be held by the detent 77 until fifteen minutes after 12 when the electro-magnet 7 0 will be energized to effect release of said switch member. The power will thus remain off until 1 oclock, or until the hour hand 14 registers with the switch member 18, and the minute hand 15 simultaneously registers with the switch 31. At this time, the circuit through the motor will again be closed, causing the return of the control lever 3 to its on or operative position, in the manner before described. The power will remain on until 5 oclock, or until the hour hand 14 effects closing of the circuit through switch 19, and the minute hand 15 simultaneously efl'ects closing of the circuit through switch 31. At this time the circuit through the motor will again be closed, causing rotation of the gear 7 through another one hundred eighty degrees, tocarry the control lever 3 to oif position. When the same reaches the off position, the switch member 60 will be rocked to circuit-breaking position by one of the pins 76, thus causing stopping of the motor. At 5:15 the electro-magnet 70 will again beenergized to cause release of switch member 60 to permit of the return of the same to circuit-closing position, under the influence of spring 7 5.

At 6:00 thecircuit through the motor will be absolutely broken, through movement of the contact 39, from engagement with the I contact fingers 41 and 41, the circuit remaining broken and hence the action of the switches 17, 18, 19, 20 and 31, upon the clock dial, ineffective until 6:00 the following morning, when the circuit through contact plate 39 and contact fingers 41 and 41 will again be closed.

This completes plete day, day night being precisely "the same as that just described. On Saturday, however, at 6:00 p. m. the circuit throughthe motor 11 will be absolutely broken until 6:00 the following Monday morning, through movement of the contact plate 40 from engagement with the contact fingers 42 and 42, the breaking of the circuit at this point, as will be seen rendering ineffective any operation of the switch device arranged upon shaft 35, or the switch devices 17, 18, 19, 20 and 31 arranged upon the clock dial.

the operation for one comeach succeeding day up to Satur- The arrangement of the switch devices may Monday morning, a second set of sockets 7 9" and 7 9 is provided for cooperation with the switch 56, said sockets 79 and 79 being connected, as seen, through wires 80 and 80 directly with the supply' wires 52' and 53.-

With this arrangement, when it is desired to operate the motor 11, in order to effect actuation of the control lever 3, it is only necesposed in said circuit ada v medium of said clockwor z, to be closed at sary to rock the switch 56 into engagement with sockets 79 and 7 9, the circuit through the switches arranged upon the clockworks being thus cut out.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without depart-j ing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited 'to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come with appended claims. I

Having described my invention what I claim "as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic control mechanism of the class described, the combination with a member to be moved, of a main electric circuit; actuating means interposed in said circuit adapted, when said circuit is closed, to be operated to effect actuation of said member; means for automatically making and breaking said circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a clockwork; a plurality of normally open switches interted, through the predetermined intervals; an additional normally closed switch interposed in said circuit; means adapted, upon operation of said actuating means to.a predeterminedextent, to open said additional switch; and electrically operated means for subsequently, at predetermined intervals, closing said additional switch, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic control mechanism of the class described, the combination with a member to be moved, of a main electric circuit; actuating means interposed in said circuit adapted, when said circuit is closed, to be operated to effect actuation of said member; means for automatically making and breaking said circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a clockwork; a

in the scope of the plurality of normally open switches interposed in said circuit adapted, through the medium of said clockwork, to be closedat predetermined intervals; an additional normally closed switch interposed in, said circuit; means adapted, upon operation of said actuating means to a to open said additional switch; and electrical means for subsequently releasing said additional switch for the return thereof to closed position, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic control mechanism of the class described, the combination with a member to be moved, of a main electric circuit; actuating means interposed in said circuit adapted, when said circuit isclosed, to be operated to effect actuation of said member; means for automatically making and breaking said circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a clockwork; a plurality of normally open switches interposed in said circuit adapted, t rough the medium of said clockwork, to be closed at predetermined intervals; an additional normally closed switch interposed in said circuit; means adapted, upon operation of said actuating means to a predetermined extent, to open said additional switch; a normally open supplemental circuit; means interposed in said supplementalcircuit adapted, upon closing of said supplemental circuit to release said additional switch to permit return of the same to closed position; and means for closing said supplemental circuit at predetermined in ervals, substantially as described.

' 4. In an automatic control mechanism of the class described, the combination with a member to-be moved, of a mainelectric circuit; actuating means interposed in said circuit adapted, when said circuit isclosed, tobe operated to effect actuation of said member; means for automatically making and breaking said circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a clockwork; a plurality of normally open switches interposed in said circuit adapted, through the medium'of said clockwork, to be closed at predetermined intervals; an additional normally closed switch interposed in said predetermined extent,-

cuit; actuating means interposed in said circuit adapted, when said circuit is closed, to be operated to efi'ect actuation of said member; means for automatically making and breaking said circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a clockwork; a plurality of normally open switches interposed in said circuit adapted, through the medium of said clockwork, to be closed at predetermined intervals; an additional normally closed switch interposed in said circuit; means adapted, upon operation of said actuating means to a predetermined extent, to open said additional switch; a normally open supplemental circuit; means interposed in said supplemental circuit adapted, upon closing of said supplemental circuit to release said additional switch to permit -return of the same to closed position; means for closing said supplemental circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a normally open switch interposed in said supplemental circuit; and a hand on said clockwork for closing said last mentioned switch, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic control mechanism of the class described, the combination with a member to be moved, of an electric circuit; means interposed in said circuit adapted, when said circuit is closed, to eflect actuation of said member; means for automatically making and breaking said circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a clockwork; a plurality of switches interposed in said circuit; hands on said clockwork adapted to actuate said switches;

additional switch mechanism interposed in said circuit and operable by said clockwork to close and open the same at longer intervals than said before mentioned switches; and indicator hands and cooperating time graduations, arranged for cooperation with said last mentioned additional switch mechanism, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic control mechanism of the class described, the combination with a member to be moved, of an electric circuit; means interposed in said circuit adapted, when said circuit is closed, to effect actuation of said member; means for automatically making and breaking said circuit at predetermined intervals, said means comprising a clockwork; a plurality of switches interposed in said circuit; hands on said clockwork adapted to actuate said switches; additional switch mechanism interposed in said circuit and operable by said clockwork to close and open the same at longer intervals than said before mentioned switches;

and time graduations and cooperating indi cator hands operable through connection with said clockwork, arranged for cooperation with said last mentioned additional switch mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAX G. VANDY.

Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'rrs, HELEN F. LILLIS. 

